Marks of A Disciple

Good Morning Church Family,

I pray each of you are well and blessed this day. If you were not in worship, we missed your presence. It was a blessed day of worship together as we began a new series during the Lenten season. Sunday's message centered on the marks of a disciple. The marks of a disciple are laid out in the covenantal question that is asked of us when we join a United Methodist Church. "Will you faithfully participate in the ministries of the church by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?"

Each of these action words denote much of the life of a follower of Christ in the church. We will take time each week during the season of Lent to examine these words.

This Wednesday we will not have our "Normal" Wednesday night activities.

We WILL however, come together for Ash Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., a night where we will begin in community, the Lenten season. This season of Lent - Originating in the fourth century of the church, the season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday. But since these new members were to be received into a living community of Faith, the entire community was called to preparation. Also, this was the time when those who had been separated from the Church would prepare to rejoin the community.

Today, Lent is marked by a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling. Christians today use this period of time for introspection, self examination, and repentance. This season of the year is equal only to the Season of Advent in importance in the Christian year, and is part of the second major grouping of Christian festivals and sacred time that includes Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.

Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or simply the giving of money to charities. Most Christian churches that observe Lent at all focus on it as a time of prayer, especially penance, repenting for failures and sin as a way to focus on the need for God’s grace. It is really a preparation to celebrate God’s marvelous redemption at Easter, and the resurrected life that we live, and hope for, as Christians. (Description of Lent comes from http://www.cresourcei.org/cylent.html)

I am praying for you this week as we begin the Lenten season. I pray that this will be the season where you grow in Christ and join me in the joy of the resurrection of Easter on March 31.

Thank you for your prayers as I leave for Florida this week to meet with many people regarding my appointment to The Florida Annual Conference. I am blessed to have you praying me and my family through this transition time. I continue to lift you, our church, our Bishop, DS, and pastor who will come in prayer as we all are going through transitions right now.

Church, know that it is an honor to serve and lead as your pastor. Be blessed!